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Editorial: Congress takes steps to handle border crisis

Ruidoso News

Posted:
07/17/2014 07:48:59 PM MDT

In a recent editorial, we noted that the immigration crisis now unfolding on the border is a federal responsibility, and the federal government should bear the costs to address it — not state and local governments, or local churches and service groups. That has not changed.

But, much as changed since then.

We expressed our support in principle for an emergency relief bill that, at the time, was anticipated to come in at a little over $2 billion. The president has since submitted a request for $3.7 billion. Our endorsement was not for a blank check. Congress should take a careful look at the president's request and trim anything not needed to address the crisis. But the funding must be adequate to provide for humane holding facilities, swift immigration hearings, medical screenings and outreach efforts to Central America to stem the flow at its source.

Congress should also take a second look at the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which was intended to provide for protection of children escaping for the sex trafficking trade, but has had unintended consequences. That law guarantees protections to children coming here from throughout the world that are not available to those coming from Mexico or Canada.

Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Henry Cuellar have proposed changing the law so that Border Patrol officials would determine if a minor might be eligible for asylum or other types of visas. If so, the youths would be guaranteed a hearing before an immigration judge within seven days. If not, they would be immediately deported.

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We believe that minors fleeing from violence in their home countries should have the opportunity to make their case, with the expert help that is necessary to navigate the system, in hearings that are both fair and timely. Those who argue that all immigrants should be shipped back immediately without the due process called for by law are often the same ones who scream the loudest about the sanctity of the rule of law in dealing with immigration.

The system has simply been overwhelmed with this latest flood of immigrants from Central America. Those detained are being turned loose with orders to show up for hearings that most will miss.

We also called in our earlier editorial for our representative, Steve Pearce, to take a leading role in addressing this issue. To that end, he was one of seven House members who recently traveled to Central America to evaluate conditions and meet with leaders there. Pearce said his group will make recommendations on policy, while a second group looks at appropriations. He said he expects both bills to pass the House before the August recess.

"Everybody agrees we have to do something, but we can't just throw money at it," Pearce said during a conference call Wednesday. "The president feels that pressure, we feel that pressure."

We continue to believe that the current situation is simply a result of an immigration system that is in dire need of comprehensive reform. Congress appears to be moving to deal with the immediate crisis, as it must. But without addressing the larger issue of comprehensive immigration reform, they are treating the symptoms while ignoring the disease.

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